Kale Salad with beets, Dried Cherries + Blue Cheese
What's not to love about a holiday completely dedicated to eating?
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It's the best! Thanksgiving makes me feel some type of way.
But I don't always love the way I feel after a weekend spent gorging on too much sugar, butter, carbs and wine. It feels so good in the moment - and I'm all about living in the moment - but sometimes it leaves us feeling less than our best when its all over.
To make up for the overindulging I did this weekend, today I'm going to make a big green smoothie, take a long jog and then dive face first into this salad.
It's super bright and colorful and just looks like the picture of health. With lots of raw veggies like kale, carrots, apples and beets, it really packs a nutritional punch.
But! It also tastes rich and indulgent from the walnuts, dried cherries and blue cheese.
Because lets face it, this is December not June, and we aren't exactly craving fresh light fare these days.
This salad hits all the marks!
I've been making different variations of this salad ever since my sophomore year in college (aka a really long time ago) when my parents and I took a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona to visit family friends Tom & Julie Cook.
One day for lunch, Julie made us a salad that had apples, blue cheese, nuts and dried cranberries. I absolutely fell in love with it, and when I returned home, I made that salad almost every single day.
My Mom and I nicknamed it a "Julie Salad," and she got a kick out of how often I was making it at school. I've often wondered if Julie ever knew how her humble lunch created such a legacy in our household (and in my diet).
I've reincarnated this salad into a million different versions over the years, simply by changing up the produce, dressings and accoutrements. But the base flavors stay the same: greens, crisp fruit, nuts, dried fruit, and tangy cheese.
With the holiday season now in full swing, cookies and cocktails will be taking the wheel for the next month. And for the record, I'm completely okay with that.
This little detox(ish) salad can be your secret weapon to keep you feeling on top of your holiday game.
But of course it's not too detox-ey, because, you know, this is still a time to be festive and indulgent. Lots of raw cruciferous veggies to give your body a tune-up, but enough cheese and nuts to keep it from tasting like its really good for you.
Look at us! Being all healthy in December. We're so ahead of the game. Waiting until January to think about health is so 2013. High five!
Life's all about balance. Have pie and champagne for breakfast one day, then jog and eat kale the next. It's been working for me so far, and I'm fairly certain both my Mom and Julie would agree.
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Kale Salad with Raw Beets, Carrots, Blue Cheese, Cherries & Walnuts
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 1 small shallot minced
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad
- 1 bunch Tuscan or curly kale washed, dried and ribs removed
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- ½ small to medium beet peeled and julienned
- 1 medium carrot peeled and julienned
- 1 apple Granny smith or honey crisp, julienned
- ⅓ cup walnuts lightly toasted and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup dried cherries
- 3-4 ounces blue cheese
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- To make the dressing, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper until the honey is dissolved.
- Slowly whisk in the olive oil until it's emulsified. Alternatively, you can add all of the ingredients to a jar, cover, and shake to combine.
Make the Salad
- Gather the kale into a tight bunch and slice into thin ribbons.
- Place the shredded kale into a large bowl, then drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Use your hands to massage the salt and oil into the leaves until they're all thoroughly coated and slightly darker in color.
- Add the beets, carrots, apples, walnuts, and cherries to the bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad a little bit at a time and toss until it's dressed to your liking. Taste, and adjust as needed.
- Crumble in the blue cheese and mix again, then serve.
Notes
- I really like the texture achieved from julienning the vegetables, as the thin matchsticks create such a pleasant crunch. I use the julienne tool on my mandolin slicer to make it quick and easy, but you can also do it by hand. If it seems like too much work, you can just slice the vegetables nice and thin or cut into cubes. Just be sure to keep the beet pieces extra skinny, as they can be a bit much to chomp into.
- This salad is best right after mixing but will keep in the refrigerator for about a day.
Nutrition
I too know Julie & Tom Cook and absolutely am a great admirer of hers. Shhh, she doesn't know. I will be making this salad and it will be my first time dipping my food into the kale pool. Look-out below!!
I must tell you that I've always love kale - way long before it got groovy and hipsters started eating it. But I love it even more now since I started using your EVOO massage method. Great tip. Keep 'em coming.
And a timely recipe since I finally quit smoking (after 50 years!) and I've now got six or eight extra pounds to get rid of by NYE 2015. This will help!
Too funny just finished making the same salad for dinner but I perfer pecans and homemade balsamic dressing. I'm serving mine with steak because the family won't let me get too healthy on them.
You really are good at coming up with names for things....